Gervais Lake Shoreland
Project Purpose and Timeline

Monitor and collect
data to assess long-term water quality and habitat improvements

Examine public perceptions
of sustainable landscapes

Why embrace sustainable
management and native revegetation?

Sustainability means reducing
chemical inputs and restoring native vegetation. We can create landscapes in
our back yards which are sustainable. Native vegetation protects water quality
and fish habitat, controls erosion, conserves native plant and animal diversity,
and gives us beauty, privacy and a low maintenance landscape.

Native
Shoreland Revegetation Demonstration Sites

These three sites were
originally conventional turf grass and needed regular mowing, fertilizing and
weeding. In summer of 1998, these demonstration sites were converted to sustainable
landscapes. Naturalized shoreland will evolve here over time.

Restoration Timeframe:

Year 1: April - June
1998Final Site design was agreed upon. Turf grass was killed using herbicide
in spring and hardwood mulch was applied to reduce weed growth. Erosion control
fabric was used in wetter areas. Wave breaks in water reduce effects of wave
disturbance on plant survival. Several community groups helped plant approximately
3,500 native plant seedlings and shrubs.

Year 2: 1999
Perennial plants will mature and flower. Mulch will decompose and spaces between
plants will begin to fill in. Shoreline aquatic vegetation will spread.

Year 3: 2000 and beyond
A mature prairie will become established attracting birds, and beneficial
insects which control insect pests. Aquatic plants will stabilize the shoreline
and provide habitat for fish, water birds, and aquatic insects.

Shoreland Revegetation

Getting Started

Plan landscaping with
protection of water quality in mind. A vegetated buffer about 30 feet deep
along your lakeside will help filter out pollutants and sediment before they
enter your lake. Plant a buffer strip of diverse native plants between lawn
and water.

Select native perennials,
trees and shrubs which are hardy and require little or no fertilizers, herbicides
or pesticides. Purchase plants or seeds from nurseries that get seed from
local seed stock. These plants will be better adapted to your area.

Put each plant into
the place where it will grow best. Uplands can be planted in sun with prairie
and plants and shade with native woodland species. Look at other areas of
the same or nearby lakes to see what vegetation is able to survive in your
area (do not remove plants). Use the following list to choose plants.

Read the upcoming Minnesota
Extension Service bulletin "Sustainable Landscapes for Lakesides" which includes
more information on the selection and planting of native species.

Plants for Sustainable
Lakeside Landscapes

Choose plants according
to zones along a line from the upland to the shoreland:

Zone
1 UPLAND

prairie
if sunny, or woodland if shady and soil is moist but not wet

Zone
2 WET MEADOW

wet soil
but rarely any standing water

Zone
3 EMERGENT

shallow
water most of the time

Zone
4 SUBMERGED

aquatic;
soil is never exposed

Zone 1 UPLAND

Trees and Shrubs

white oak

Quercus alba

red oak

Quercus rubra

bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa

red maple

Acer rubrum

wild plum

Prunus americana

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

American highbush cranberry

Viburnum trilobum

common chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

Prairie plants for sun

big bluestem

Andropogon gerardii

sideoats grama

Bouteloua curtipendula

little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

indian grass

Sorghastrum nutans

prairie smoke

Geum triflorum

gray-head. coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

purple prairie clover

Dalea purpurea

anise hyssop

Agastache foeniculum

thimbleweed

Anemone cylindrica

butterfly milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

prairie blazing star

Liatris pycnostachya

purple coneflower

Echinacea augustifolia

Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Woodland plants for shade

common blue violet

Viola papilionacea

wild geranium

Geranium maculatum

mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

true solomon's seal

Polygonatum biflorum

jacob's ladder

Polemonium reptans

Canada wild ginger

Asarum canadadense

Zone 2 WET PRAIRIE

Trees and Shrubs

red maple

Acer rubrum

swamp white oak

Quercus bicolor

black spruce

Picea mariana

red osier dogwood

Cornus sericea

pussy willow

Salix discolor

cottonwood

Populus deltoides

buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

meadowsweet

Spirea alba

saskatoon

Amelanchier alnifolia

Perennials

joe-pye weed

Eupatorium maculatum

blue flag iris

Iris versicolor

swamp milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

cardinal flower

Lobelia cardinalis

great blue lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

prairie cord grass

Spartine pectinata

bottlebrush sedge

Carex comosa

marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

spike rush

Eleocharis species

blue vervain

Verbena hastata

Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Zone 3 EMERGENT

Perennials

green bulrush

Scirpus atrovirens

wool grass

Scirpus cyperinus

river bulrush

Scirpus fluviatilis

lake sedge

Carex lacustris

pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

arrowhead

Sagittaria latifolia

soft rush

Juncus effusus

Can. bluejoint grass

Calamgrostis canadensis

water plaintain

Alisma plantago-aquatica

bur-reed

Sparganium americanum

cattail

Typha latifolia

Zone 4 SUBMERGENT

Wet soils, always under water

American lotus

Nelumbo lutea

spatterdock

Nuphar advena

white water-lily

Nymphaea odorata

wild celery

Valisneria americana

The Gervais Lake Shoreland Project is a collaboration among the Gervais Lake Association,
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, and the University of Minnesota's Department of Entomology.
The cooperators are committed to the conservation of water quality and biodiversity.

For more information about the Gervais Lake Shoreland Project, including demonstration
sites, bulletins, videos, posters and volunteer opportunities, contact: